My ideal community goes something like this. A community that’s safe because the people who live there are capable of protecting themselves and their property. A community that values the freedom of the individual, the freedom of speech, the freedom to transact, the freedom of association, the freedom of religion, the freedom of assembly, the freedom of movement, the freedom of thought, and the freedom to exit.
My ideal community punishes those who forcefully infringe upon the freedoms and rights of others, because it is full of people who seek to create and support a system that makes these freedoms possible.
A community that believes in the rule of law, laws that are chosen through the consensus of those who can prove they are stakeholders in that community. A community that funds public goods not through taxation, but through a block reward. Funds that are treasured, not hoarded. Funds that are spent wisely, not wasted, because these funds can be accounted for on chain.
A community that has the proper incentives while properly rewarding those who prove their work. A community of abundance. Where there is enough to go around for everyone, achieved through cooperation, competition, and collaboration.
My ideal community will not be perfect, because humans are not perfect, but it is one that seeks to optimize for the best possible outcomes. And we do this by taking back control of our money. By creating an alternative financial system that isn’t controlled by central banks, or politicians, lobbyists, bureaucrats, regulators, and their cronies. A financial system that can’t be manipulated by crooks, but is defended and secured by those who share the same goals and values.
A system that doesn’t require people to ask for permission. A system where people can’t be censored because of their beliefs, or have their money frozen because they said the wrong thing. A system that is distributed, not centralized. One that doesn’t require a central authority, or trusted third parties, because it works peer-to-peer.
I want to see a future where people no longer have to feel powerless, a future where no matter who you are or where you live, you can participate in a global economy using your talent and your work to create value for others. A world that incentivizes win-win transactions more than it does zero-sum games. A world that isn’t about taking from the rich to give to the poor, or a world where it’s everyone for themselves, but one that manages to strike the right balance.
Maybe this all sounds like wishful thinking, but I don’t think so. I believe that peer-to-peer electronic cash is a civilization changing technology that can empower us to discover new forms of governance, and shape the course of human history.
But it’s not going to happen overnight, nor is it going to happen on its own. It will happen step by step, through the actions of each individual who can see the light and is willing to fight for it in any way that they can.